The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-15
The Government Should Own the Lines and
Lease Them to Private Parties, Retaining
the Right to Fix the Rate Of Charges.
The Advantages Offered in the Banking
Plan Submitted by Senator Teller.
Senator Morrill, Makes an Argument in Sup
port Of His Bill Regulating immigration
Other Items of Washington News.


We Editors Plan for Securing Service
for the General Public.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Dec 14.-What appears to be
the most practical idea of . government control
OF the telegraph was suggested to-day by one
OF the most prominent editors in theWest, who ia
also a telegraph man OF long and varied expert
encs He said: 'The government ought to own q
complete system of telegraph lines. extending all
over the country, and the system now owned by
the Western Union company should be pur-
chased ii reasonable figures can be made. The
government should not operate the lines ITSELF
as there are too many employees within the
telegraph circle, and in asmuch as men cannot
be hired to work as faithfully and as long hours
for the government az for private parties. my
plan is for the government to lease it's system Of
telegraph to private parties, the government. OF
course fixing reasonable tariff schedule You
see. under this plan it would be impossible for
the les sees to charge rates which would be
exorbitant, as the government would control
them. The idea would be to get down the
lease money to figure which would probably
yield a reasonable or living profit to those who
leased. 1t would not be absolutely necessary for
the government to make the lines pay out fully,
as they would be owned and operated for the
benefit of the people. the same as our mail serv-
ice The lease contract should not be let for
more than year at a time, or few yeara
st any rate, until the experimental period
passed. This would enable the government
to reduce raise the tariffs fixed, and conform
With the actual running expenses, and the people
would, therefore, receive all government pro-
lection possible, and at the same time derive all
the benefit from private management. This
would give the country whatever advantages
there might be in individual management over
that of the government, while st the same time
insuring all of the protection the government
could give if it employed the operatives and
run the business itself. I would, of course, put
the telegraph Offices in the postofices. and main
tain telegraph stations wherever there was
possof6ce and enough demand for the telegraph
to accommodate any considerable number OF
people, whether the Office would be self-sus-
taining or not. I would also utilize the letter
carriers and the special delivery messengers il
the delivery of the telegraph message, and in
fact take advantage OF ali the machinery of the
government in the operation of the lines, just
the same il the governments was operating
the lines itself, thereby giving the best service
for the lowest possible figure. Under this plar
there would bs such thing Capitalization
of political power, which is Il very strong argu-
ment against the government operating tke
would not be increased. In time of the
government would take hold OF ali the telegraph
lines, because it owned them. IL this had beer
possible in the late rebellion the war would not
have lasted more than two years. The construc-
ton Of branch telegraph lines, the estahlish
ment of Offices at small places, and extraocdi-
nary expenses generally could be borne by the
government under the plan ! propose, and
hardships would entail, the government has
plenty OF funds which designed for the
benefit of the ID asses"